


Mistletoe and Whitestone 2:  Royal Wedding

by Justanothershortstory_sofar



Series: PressVerse [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Hallmark Movie Fic PART TWO, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Past Abuse, Press/Modern Nobility AU, Revenge is gotten, Royal Wedding, Sequel, Syldor is a DOUCHEBAG holy shit for real, bastard abuser character, they're super cute as a couple, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-12 01:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18001328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justanothershortstory_sofar/pseuds/Justanothershortstory_sofar
Summary: It's been five years since Vex'ahlia met Percy in Whitestone, five years since he proposed, and said yes. It's been five years of pushing off their wedding another six months.  Now that they're actually tying the knot, Vex decides to close a few less than perfect chapters on her life.





	1. A Thousand Fucking Shades of White

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, here we go with part two! Fueled by a few things, namely my absolute love for Perc’ahlia and complete disappointment (hatred?) of the second Christmas Prince movie, which unlike its predecessor, does not fall into the realm of loveable, goofy Hallmark movie, and into just… boring. So for this fic, I did a few different things: one, I scrapped the second movie, like, all together. I did some things of my own more inspired by parts of Critical Role (C1), and some things of my own unrelated to any canon. And I looked for some Royal Wedding things that did not invoke annoyance, finding a solution in the Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, so that’s where the last ⅓ or so comes from. Nonetheless, I wound up with a better sequel, one that I think actually fits the model of the Hallmark film. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Prologue:  

“Give me the ring, darling.”  She gives him her hand. “I’m saying yes.”  

It feels like home when she kisses him in the snow.  

“Oh, fuck it’s cold.”  Vex shakes, rubbing her hands together.  “Come inside, meet my brother?”

“Yes, let’s go inside.”  Percy holds the door open for her.  

“Care to introduce your friend, Vex?”  Vax is back from the kitchen, pouring flutes of champagne.  

“Vax.  You know who this is.  Fuck off.” She turns to Percy.  “This is my brother, Vax, and his girlfriend slash my best friend, Keyleth.”

“Nice to meet you,”  Keyleth waves. 

“So if you’re getting married, you should have a plan, at least.”  Vax takes a sip of champagne. “What’s your plan?” 

 

 

Part One: A Thousand Fucking Shades of White

Five Years Later

“My eyes are starting to bleed,”  Vex groans and rubs her temples, staring at her dining room table.  The dark wood table is covered in about a thousand scraps of white linen, silk, satin, and chambray.  “Which do you think, Pearl Dust or Cotton Lace?”

“I don’t know, darling,”  Percy walks behind her, looking over her shoulder.  “They all look… identical?”

“RIGHT?”  Vex picks up a third scrap of fabric.  “Alabaster? That one’s nice. I’ll just put that one down.”  

“According to the binder Cassandra put together, once we pick a shade of white, she’ll have the planner…”   Percy flips through the massive three-ring binder, “Send more similar whites and colors for a palette.”

“Ah, fuck.”  Vex rests her head on the table.  

The very large dog laying claim to their apartment pads into the room, laying his head on Vex’s knee, just waiting for scratches.  Vex obliges. The two of them only needed to foster Trinket for a few days before they decided to adopt. Or, before Vex decided to adopt and Percy relented.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go and just elope,”  Percy kisses her cheek. “Just you and me, soft sands on Majorica, none of this pomp and circumstance…” 

“Mmm.”  Vex leans against him.  “We can’t, darling. We have my brother and your sister, and whoever the fuck else is coming to our wedding.”

“Five years, thereabouts, we’ve been planning this thing.” Percy sighs.  

“All the more reason to not throw all this out.”  Vex smiles. “We can do this.” 

“Cassandra takes the throne at the end of the summer,”  Percy runs his hands through his floppy white hair. “Then, then we get married.  And have a very, very, long honeymoon.” 

“How long are you thinking?” Vex smiles.  

“About as long as our engagement, I would hope.” Percy laughs.  “Can we take a five-year honeymoon?” 

“I’d better start packing, then.”  Vex winks, walking across their dining room to their bedroom door.  She leans against the doorframe in a way she thinks looks particularly alluring.  “On the other hand, maybe it’s best if I don’t pack very much. Care to join me?”

* * *

 

 

“Vax, have you seen my–”  

“Here,”  Vax hands Keyleth her bag, keys, and a travel mug brimming with hot oolong tea.  “You’re going to crush it, babe.” 

“Thanks, Vax.”  She gives him a quick kiss, then runs out of the apartment.  “I’ll be back before five! I think!” 

Keyleth catches her train, just barely, and reads through the notes she’s compiled on her phone. She mutters to herself.  

“This is Keyleth Zephrah, reporting from Manhattan for NPR.  No, no. This is Keyleth Zephrah, reporting from Aleppo for NPR.  Or, this is Keyleth Zephrah for Radiolab. Do I know enough science for that?  Keyleth Zephrah for More Perfect. Yeah, that’s a goal, that’s a good one to shoot for…”    

 

* * *

 

“Your Highness makes her entrance here, proceeds through the hall, and takes the oath here.”  Madame Yor gestures to a printed map of the large hall in the center of Castle Whitestone. “A reception will be had in the upstairs diplomatic rooms for select members of the press, gentry, and of course, the extended royal family.”

“This all looks lovely, thank you.”  Cassandra tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.  After the crash, her hair started to turn white from the stress and trauma.  Percy started to bleach his hair to match, but she’d dyed it in the inverse for a while.  Now, she let it stay as it was, two long streaks of white hair starting at her temples in direct contrast to the rest of her dark brown hair.  Anything that helped her look older was useful in her mind. 

“Menus are on their way from the kitchens this afternoon, and the last item in need of final approval is the stamps.”

Right.  The Stamps.  

“Show them to me.”   Cassandra looks through a variety of stamp designs, all from photos taken of her with crown and scepter and thick fur cloak as customary for Whitestone nobles.  She tries to keep from snorting at the various serious images of herself. “I think this one is lovely, makes me look the least like a pompous ass. Thoughts?”

“Yes, that one is very nice.”  Madame Yor stifles a laugh. “I’ll take these to the printer today.”

Cassandra whips out her phone as soon as Madame Yor is out of earshot.  

Vex sighs.  

“We keep on getting distracted from wedding plans, don’t we?”  She takes a big swallow from the water bottle she keeps on her nightstand.  

“In fairness, planning is slightly more boring than the other ways we occupy our time.”  Percy settles his wire-framed glasses back onto his face. 

“You know you can just say sex, Percival, right?”  

Percy snorts.  “Pass me the water?” 

His phone rings.  Vex groans into a pillow.  

“Don’t answer it.”

“I have to,”  He turns his phone on.  “It’s Cass.” 

“Is she reprimanding us for not picking a wedding linen yet?  Or worse, she’s calling because Whitestone is burning to the ground.”  

“Hello, Cass.  Vex thinks Whitestone is smoldering embers right now, is that true?”

“GOOD MORNING.”  She shouts through the phone.  

“WE’RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE LINENS, CASS,”  Vex shouts back. 

“Hold for a moment.”  Percy turns speakerphone on. “You two do realize speakerphone is a thing, right?”

“Smartass,”  Cass mutters.  “Hi, Vex.”

“What’s going on with you today?”  He asks. “I thought you were good running Whitestone on your own as a dry run?”

“Yeah, yeah that’s fine.  Whitestone is fine, nothing is on fire.  Parliament might be a little mad at me for the moment, but they’ll need to get used to me eventually.  Better now than later.” Cassandra replies. “No, I wanted to talk about the stamps.”

“What did you do to the postal service?  And why is Parliament mad?”   
“NOTHING, I SWEAR.  But, Madame Yor just came by with the photographs for my first memorial coronation stamp. And that’s Parliament.  They didn’t love you, and I’m the more radical you.” 

Percy laughs.    Vex picks up her own phone, scrolling through the screen full of notifications.  About standard for her after one of her freelance articles was posted on a user-generated site, complete with angry comments about how she didn’t know what she was talking about (too young, too female, too liberal, too elitist, not elitist enough) and the occasional nice one.     
“Stop laughing, I look like a royal pompous ass.  I picked the best photo but I look like someone just shot my puppy.”  Cassandra’s voice is tinny through the speakerphone. 

_ “Like the future princess of a wealthy European country can even say anything about the way we live in the US.”   _ A comment shouts to Vex, despite her best intentions to not interact or read her comments.   Percy and Cassandra’s conversation fades to the background. 

_ “Elitist bitch doesn’t know the first thing about living under the poverty line.”   _ Eloquently said by a bitch_SJW_slayer. 

“It’s supposed to be serious, Cassandra.”  Percy’s laugh brings her back to their apartment bedroom, lying against silky dark grey sheets.  She picks at a loose thread with her fingernail. 

“Okay.  Well, you’ve been no help.”  Cassandra laughs a little. “I have to go to a reception-food menu rehearsal thing?  Anyway, they’re going to feed me and I will stuff my face with crostini and seafood. SEND ME THE LINENS.  Bye, love you.” 

“Bye, Cass.”  Percy hangs up the phone, setting it down on his nightstand.  “I don’t know about Alabaster, maybe we should go back to Cotton Lace.  For the linens.” 

“Mmhm.”  

“You alright, dear?”

“Peachy.”  She sets down her phone.  These comments shouldn’t bother her.  Not really. Not anymore, at least. There was a reason beyond Percy’s status as the current Regent of Whitestone that there was a rotating security team posted at the front door of her apartment, why they were the only ones on this floor of a secure building, why someone went through all her mail before she did.  

Vex sits up halfway, leaning on her elbow.  

“Peachy?”  Percy turns towards her.  

“Peachy.  Hey, up here.”  Vex cocks her head.  “Were you staring at my boobs?”

“Yes dear.”

“Okay,”  Vex laughs, trying to keep the mood light.  “Percy, are they, by any chance, stamps with your face on them?”

“Yes.”

“Will there be, by any chance, stamps made of my face?”

“Uhhh… maybe.  Strong maybe.” 

“That’s new.”  Vex flops back down on the pillows.  “One? More than one? Just- more or less than ten?”

“I’d say less.”  Percy leans over her, bending down and kissing her softly, moving from her lips to her jaw, to the hollow of her neck and bare collarbone.  “All part of being a De Rolo. You’re sure you don’t want to keep your last name?”

“Are you kidding?”  She runs her hands through his unkempt hair.  “Darling, neither Vax nor I want to keep our last names.  Should he and Keyleth tie the knot, he’s taking her last name.  Besides, with your last name, I’ll be getting, like, so many job offers.”

“I see,”  Percy laughs.  “This is why you’ve agreed to marry me.  The tabloids were right, you’re just taking my name and my money to heighten your career!  I should have run, the first time I saw you.” 

“You took my fucking cab, darling.”  Vex bites her lip as he goes lower. “You ran as best you could.”  

 


	2. 1500 Minor Dignitaries in Europe, Cousins, and Other Familial Flotsam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload- I've had a very long and weird night. I promise part three will be on time tomorrow!

“Okay, Cass has the linens we chose.”  Percy refers back to the binder, “Which means, my dear, we can tick another item off the big bad list.”  

“Wonderful,”  Vex scrawls a blue checkmark in the box beside “Wedding Linens, Reception.”  

“Next task is…”  Vex runs her finger along the list she and Percy have been going through out of order.  “Guest lists and table settings.”

“Right.”  Percy stares at the book.  “How hard can that be? Surely easier than picking from a thousand identical scraps of white cloth.  And Cassandra has a suggested list somewhere in here, should be a start at least.”

 

“Well fuck, Percy, how much family do you have?”  

“Too much.”  Twenty minutes into invitations, and it was becoming a more and more daunting task.  Failing to invite one of Percy’s second-cousins-twice-removed could end up being a political firestorm.  With every passing minute, their wedding was threatening to turn into a more and more extravagant display of pageantry.  Percy’s offer of eloping was also growing more and more tempting, despite the mounting evidence of how bad of an idea that was.  

“Speaking of family,”  Vex checks her phone. “Devana is texting.  Oh, they got our package!”

Along with well-wishings from her step-mother, Devana sent a photo of her Velora lovingly cuddling the stuffed bear Vex sent her for her birthday.

“Adorable.”  Percy kisses her cheek.  “Do you want her in the wedding?  Flower girl, maybe?”

“How cute would that be, though.”  Vex kisses Percy back. “But that would mean inviting my father, which…”  

“We don’t have to invite him, Vex.”  Percy rubs her shoulders. “Of course, we could skip the guest list altogether.”

“Please, I don’t want your sister’s first act as queen to be executing you and I for eloping without her.  Don’t tempt me.” Vex ponders. “Vax is enough family. I think. Syldor dropped the two of us the moment we looked like trouble.  And the wedding is big enough as it is already.”

“We could visit Velora on our way to Whitestone.”  He suggests. “I’ll call it a state visit, so we can get out of pretty much anything you don’t want to do.”  

She looks at the photo of Velora a little longer.

“I would like to see my sister.  And she would be the cutest little flower girl, just think!  She’d just love to meet Trinket. But if I see her, I need to see him…  now I can also introduce my smoking hot King of nation-state fiance. Maybe this will be the time he’ll respect some of my life choices.”

“Are you sure?”  Percy asks.

“Never.  But I’m always up for an adventure, with you by my side.”  

 

Packing was something Vex had gotten good at from a young age.  First, moving across the sea with Vax, away from their mother. She was no good at it then, forgot almost everything of importance.   There were so many things, toys, and mementos from her childhood she wished she still had, lost to her. Vex has foggy memories of a stuffed bear, forgotten under her bed on the day they left, unaccompanied minor cards pinned to their shirts.  Clothing didn’t matter as much, Syldor was judgemental and disproving of almost everything they had and replaced everything within the first few weeks.

Then to boarding schools, six of them over six years.  Her whole life needed to fit into two suitcases and a backpack, which she took all around England, one school in Scotland, and two separate finishing schools in France.  

After her mother died, Vex packed again, even smaller.  She fit her life into a hiking backpack, Vax did the same, and the two of them roamed through the south of France, trying to find something- each other, their mother, some sort of fucking place in the world, maybe.  Funds ran out quickly, and it didn’t take long for Vex to switch on the charm that let her get away with all but murder in finishing school, and for Vax’s sticky fingers to swipe watches and wallets from wealthy American tourists in Paris.  That ended poorly again, like most changes in their adolescence.

College was another change.    After eighteen years, she’d pushed to the fullest extent of her luck, and Vax had paid for it.  After eighteen years with Vax by her side, sneaking into her dorm room at night in every different boarding school, she was going to NYU alone, directionless,  and Vax was looking for a job that wouldn’t mind his record. Thankfully, there was Keyleth. They started to move together, from shared freshman dorm rooms to a shitty apartment their senior year, and Keyleth blessedly didn’t mind when Vax started sleeping on their futon and picking up shifts at the diner.  

Not much changed from then.  Keyleth moved out, Vax officially moved in.  They switched apartments a few times. Vex left for Europe, started splitting her time between Whitestone and a little fortified Upper East Side apartment with Percy by the embassy.  Keyleth let her lease lapse and moved in with Vax. Vex packed with them through every move, labeling boxes with silver sharpie and dancing in the empty rooms to Keyleth’s indie Spotify playlist.  

Despite all this packing, all this moving, she was almost unable to pack herself again in preparation of returning back to Syldor’s estate.  She packed seven different wardrobes into her leather duffel bag, before unpacking everything and thinking through her clothes, shoes, and jewelry again.  Now it was nearing two in the morning, and she was sitting in her living room surrounded by piles of options. She’d moved all possible selections from the bedroom so she wouldn’t wake Percy, currently fast asleep.  

Syldor’s voice, the one she’d spent years trying to remove from her mind was ringing through her head, as well as the different rules for foreign dignitaries she knew by heart now.  Most of the time she didn’t notice the little changes enforced on their apartment, and she didn’t really miss taking the subway most of the time. But times like now, when she knew she couldn’t just take a walk to the bodega and clear her head, or open a window, was enough to suffocate herself.  

Her phone dings.  She knows it’s a comment notification, she knows she shouldn’t check it.  She certainly shouldn’t reply. She should have turned off notifications once her work was shared by some right-wing Reddit thread.

There are too many things Vex shouldn’t do.  

Vex opens her laptop, clicking on her article.  

“ _Someone should find this bitch and show her the value of the second amendment.  Suck my gun, whore.”_

The account is registered to a bitch_SJW_slayer.  The username is familiar, probably a repeat commenter on her works.  Google reveals nothing about them, other than a few other comments. Vex slams her laptop closed.  These comments are part of being a woman with opinions on the internet. It doesn’t make it feel any less like a slap to the face.

 _Nothing too bright, it does not become a_ **_lady._ **Her father’s voice says, judgment ringing in her ears.  He’d torn through her wardrobe after she attended tea with his fancy business friends in jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt.  Clothes were strewn across her room and replaced the next morning by a personal shopper. She’d spent hours staring at pastel taffeta and tulle skirts, wondering what was so wrong with the clothes her mother bought her and Vax, the ones that they could get secondhand or on the cheap, with jeans that felt buttery soft from wear against her thighs.  

Fuck that.  Vex folds her lucky red dress and adds it to the bag.  

_Nothing too masculine,_

She adds a few of Vax’s band tees.  Her father never liked women in suits, so she packs her navy blazer and cream chinos.

_Nothing too revealing,_

A sheer lace top adds to the pile.

_And never, ever, anything that exposes your bloodline other than me._

“Trinket, have you got my other shoe?”  The dark brown dog plops her left shoe at her feet, whining at the lack of his newfound toy.  “Thank you, darling.”

Her slightly more beaten cherry red converse smack the floor next to her bag.    
“Fuck you, dad.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked this chapter, let me know by commenting and leaving kudos! Part three airs tomorrow- I hope to see you then. More of my writing and my progress updates can also be found @zoetriestobecoolbutnope on Tumblr. 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just (zoetriestobecoolbutnope)


	3. Homecoming (Home is a Very Relative Term)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning with some additional tags for this chapter: Panic attacks (strongly implied), introduction of the bastard abuser character. Please do take care of yourself, and don't read if you think this might impact you. If there's a tag I missed that you'd like me to tag now (and in the future), don't hesitate to let me know. That being said, here comes the drama.

“How are you feeling, darling?”  Percy squeezes her hand. Since they took off from a private airfield this morning, Vex’s eyes haven’t left the window in the side of the jet, keeping her eyes fixed on New York, the ocean, and now the growing stretches of green and grey of England.  Trinket has been a great comfort, resting his head on her feet, snatching food from her tray table. 

“I’m alright.”  Vex turns away from the window.  “Thanks for turning this into an official state visit.  So I can actually land.”

“Of course.”  He kisses her hand.  “Who knows, maybe we’ll meet the Queen.”  

Their plane touches down on the military airstrip reserved for dignitaries visiting the UK.  Vex lets out a long sigh as the Whitestone National Guard begin to secure the plane, and greet the local ground crew and security.  

“Let’s go,” Percy stands, brushing some invisible lint from his suit pants.  

“You look lovely, darling.”  Vex adjusts his baby blue tie, pronouncing the dimple in the center.  “Very dignified. Very sexy.”

This would be Percy’s twentieth state visit as King over the last five years.  Vex never got tired of watching her fiance exit the plane, buttoning his suit jacket, smoothing back his hair, then offering her his hand.  

Vex keeps holding on Percy’s hand like a lifeline as she steps on British soil for the first time since she was eighteen.  

The ground crew is swarming around her, security escorts the two of them to the car, and within moments of landing Vex is traveling again, driving to her father’s estate.  Nervously, she tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. 

“Not too late to snub Syldor.  Never too late, darling.” Percy whispers.  

“Nope.  We’re doing this.  We’re doing this.” She buries her hand into Trinket’s thick brown coat. He was a curious dog- sized closer to a Mastiff or Saint Bernard, with curling hair like that of a Poodle, and something unidentifiable thrown in the mix.  

 

Syngorn crests the hill before them, a beautiful estate of some French Versailles inspiration.  Fountains spurt crystal clear water in perfect harmony, surrounded by perfectly trimmed rose bushes of red and white.  Their car pulls up along the front of the estate, leaving Vex and Percy staring at oak doors gilded with gold inlay. 

“Vex’ahlia,”  Devana smiles politely at her.  She’s almost unchanged over the last few years, aside from a bit of grey still woven through her hair.  “Your Majesty.” She bows slightly to Percy. “It’s an honor to have you at my home.”

“Vex!!” Velora shrieks, running to Vex and wrapping her arms around her.  “You’re here, I can’t believe you’re here! And you brought your dog!” 

Trinket barks, smacking his tail against the back of Percy’s legs.  

“I am!”  Vex smiles, hugging her sister back. “My, look how much you’ve grown!”

“Velora, let go of Vex so she can come inside.”  Devana puts her hand on Vex’s back. “You’ve grown too, Vex.”

Devana leads her and Percy through the wide halls before stopping at the large door Vex knows leads to her father’s study.  Strange- after all this time it should seem smaller, shouldn’t it? Instead of the halls feeling smaller, she feels smaller.  Her clothes don’t feel like hers, rather like she’s playing dress-up in her mother’s closet with her feet barely filling out beat up red pumps.  

_ Breathe, Vex.   _ She inhales slowly.  It’s been a while since she’s needed to ground herself of what was real and what wasn’t.  Her feet were beneath her, in low cream leather heels. She was fine. This was fine. 

“Vex’ahlia.”  Syldor, big and booming, lifts his head from the newspaper as she enters.  

It’s like she’s fifteen again.  The house is unchanged. Syldor is unchanged, aside from the new daughter to impose rules upon, though Velora was of more noble blood than her and Vax.  

“Father.”  She nods. “This is His Royal Highness, Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski De Rolo III,  _ King  _ of Whitestone, and my fiance.”  

“So I’ve heard.”  Syldor folds the newspaper so Vex can see the headlines:  WHITESTONE HEAD OF STATE TO MAKE LONDON STATE VISIT. “A pleasure.”

“Charmed,”  Percy says, sweetness coating the slight bitter tinge to his voice.  

“Shall we have tea?”  Devana breaks the silence.  “The parlor is ready.” 

“Yes, tea sounds lovely.”  Percy smiles.

 

This was officially the strangest day of Vex’s life, as her current life with Percy was locked in combat with her past life.  She keeps a hold on his hand as Devana gives him a bit of a tour, interrupted on occasion by Velora running past with Trinket in tow, chased by a nanny or maid.  Partway through their awkward silences, distant crashing, presumably that of a young Lady Vessar and a bear-sized dog running into furniture and sculptures alike. 

The china was no different, Vex realized, as she ran her finger along the edge of her bone china saucer.  She took a sip of her oolong. Syldor’s eyes never left her, watching her eat cake with a tiny silver fork.  She really, really, did not give a single fuck as to how ladylike she was being today, she thought, licking cream cheese frosting from the back of her miniature silverware.  

“I must say, I’m very pleased you finally saw fit to show your father your fiance.”  Syldor rotates his teacup slowly, like a cat playing with a mouse. “After five years? You’ve always been  _ modern _ , Vex’ahlia.  No reason to have your fiance ask for your hand first.”

“Hm.”  Vex swallows, acknowledging the fact that she is entering into a game of pompous nobility chicken.  “Yes, it’s a wonderful new era we live in, isn’t it?”

“Well, at least you have intentions of getting married.”  He coughs. “And now you have a royal line to continue, nonetheless.”

“That’s far off now.”  Vex narrows her eyes. “And not our responsibility either.”  

“Vex’ahlia, my dear, I hope you realize that it won’t be possible for you to sustain a career, at least not once you’ve married and starting a family, and especially not with your fiance’s obligations in running a country!”  Syldor laughs. 

“I assure you, father, that your desire for me to marry up is not what has influenced my life.  And it CERTAINLY will not influence my marriage, or my career, or my family, when Percival and I decide we will have children.”  Vex’s face grows red. 

“Sandwiches, anyone?”  Devana offers a plate of cucumber sandwiches to the room.  

“Yes please.”  Percy takes one from the plate.  

“So, how did you two meet?”  Devana smiles awkwardly. 

“I was doing a story on the line of succession in Whitestone.”  Vex sips her tea. 

“I stole her cab.”  Percy smiles coyly. “In my defense, I was getting away from paparazzi at the airport.”   

“Oh, how lovely.”  Syldor leans closer to the two of them over the table.  “I do hope you don’t mind the EMOTIONAL baggage my daughter has… or the darker natures of her past, which I’m sure will be in the press eventually if not already.  And of course, there’s the matter of her being untitled…”

“Syldor!”  Devana slams her hands against the table.  “You have a complicated history with Vex’ahlia, we know this.  But you do not need to air this in front of her fiance.”

“The fact remains, Devana, that my errant daughter and son both have a criminal record.  You should be more grateful, Vex’ahlia, for the people who kept you from throwing your life away as your brother has.”  

“I never wanted anything from you,”  Vex stands up, tossing her lace napkin down onto her plate setting.  “Not money, not a title, and certainly not your approval. I did this on my own.  Right now, I am tired from travel, so I am going to take a nap. Thank you for the tea, Devana.”

“M’lord Syldor, your two o’clock visitor.”

“Lord Syldor, I hope I’m not interrupting anything…”  A voice says smoothly from the entryway. The hairs on the back of Vex’s neck stand on end.  The house seems to shake and pitch under her feet. Her knuckles turn white as she grips the carved wooden armrest of her chair. “Oh, my my…  My dear Vex’ahlia! How wonderful to see you again.”

He is, almost certainly, not surprised to see her.  

She turns, slowly, magically able to keep her composure.  “Saundor! Likewise.” 

“The prodigal daughter returns!”  He grins with teeth that glitter from gold crowns. His fingers drip with diamond encrusted rings, and his silk shirt hangs off him, half unbuttoned and exposing thick chest hair on a scrawny, almost gaunt, frame.  Like a parasite, his words hook onto her, ringing for days, mixing everything he’s ever told her, every lie she believed. “But not your brother, what a shame. What’s bringing you to Syngorn?”

“My fiance is making a state visit, thought we should pop in for a few days while we’re in the area,”  Vex says, voice level and cool.  Percy stands, wrapping his arm around her waist, a reminder that he’s there. 

“Pleasure to meet a friend of Vex’ahlia.”  His voice washes over her, unanchoring the power Saundor’s voice always has on her.  “Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski De Rolo III,  _ King  _ of Whitestone.”  

“Charmed, I’m sure.”  Saundor hisses. “If you’re staying in Syngorn for a few days, you should come to the party we are having!”

“Mm, should be lovely.”  Vex hides her clenched fist behind her back.

“I’ll put your name on the list.”  Saundor types into his phone. “Vex’ahlia Vassar, plus one.”  

“You need to amend that title, I apologize.”  Percy coughs. Vex looks at him from the corner of her eyes.   They’d never discussed titling before, as the very mention of it in conversation with Whitestone nobles and castle staff was enough to make Vex fake-hurl.  “It’s actually  _ Lady _ Vex’ahlia. Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.”

Vex’s heart races.  

“So good sir,”  Lightly veiled anger is behind every word.  _ This is the woman I love,  _ he seems to say,  _ and you no longer have power over her _ .  “Despite your relationship with her, do watch your manners.  Shall we retire, Vex?”

“Sounds lovely.  I’ll be seeing you at the party, Saundor.”  

 

Vex makes it to their guest suite before losing her composure, falling to her knees on a deep blue Turkish rug.  

Percy wraps her into his arms, stroking her hair as she sobs quietly into his chest, taking big gasping breaths.  

“What do you need?”  

Vex’s hands shook.  She squeezes them together, pressing them against her chest.  These never lasted more than ten minutes. She could wait it out.  Especially if Percy stayed with her. 

“Stay.”

“Always, darling,”  Percy’s heart beats slowly, steadily.  She breathes with him until her heart starts to beat in time with his.  

“I’m calling Vax, my love.”  He kisses her forehead. “I’ll get him on a plane tonight.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to let me know if you liked this fic by hitting that kudos button or leaving a comment. The flotsam from my brain, as well as, I don't know, probably Critical Role memes can be found on Tumblr @zoetriestobecoolbutnope. 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	4. The (Douchebag) Sibling Bat Signal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more additional tags for this chapter: the aftermath of a panic attack, mentions of past abuse involving Saundor (non-graphic, but present.) Saundor is a dick.

“She did what?”  Vax is on the phone when Keyleth gets home.  She kicks off her unnecessary wedge heels that make her six-foot frame a nearly six and a half feet tall.  The apartment smells wonderful, like lemon and butter and shallots. Keyleth tried so, so hard to go vegan, Vax even tried with her, but when you date one of the most amazing chefs in New York City, it’s just foolish to limit your palate.  And pizza is kinda too good. 

In her bare stocking feet, Keyleth gets a bottle of white-out from the fridge, pouring glasses for the both of them.  

“I’m on my way, I can be at the airport in… half an hour?  Okay, that works. See you then.” 

He hangs up the phone.  

“Going somewhere?”  Keyleth swirls the wine in her glass.  

“My sister is back in England.”  Vax takes a long sip of chardonnay.  “And without warning, Saundor dropped in on my father.  Vex is shaky, better than she was a few hours ago, but I am going to go and murder that man.” 

“When do we leave?”  Keyleth gives a cursory glance to the stove– despite being a great chef, Vax had a nasty habit of leaving burners on, particularly when his sister was in danger.  Thankfully, nothing is lit. 

“You don’t have to come,  Keyleth. What if you get the call from NPR?”  Vax shakes his head. 

“I have to come.”  Keyleth sets her wineglass down firmly.  “Vex is my best friend. Besides…. I heard back from NPR already.” 

“You got it!?”  Vax’s eyes light up as Keyleth nods.  

“I’m starting in a few weeks.”  She grins. “So I can take off with you tonight.  Do you have someone to cover the diner?”

“Yeah, Joel should be able to pick up shifts.”  He squeezes her hand. “I knew you were gonna crush it!  Interview, job, every piece you record and every story.” 

“Okay, let’s pack.”  Keyleth gives him a quick kiss.  “Scale of 1-10, how portable is dinner?  And what time is our flight?”

“I can make it work.  Go pack, this will be ready.”  Vax moves into the kitchen. “And Percy is sending a private jet for us, no flying commercial for us babe.  The car should be here in half an hour at the earliest.” 

“Amazing.  I love you!”

 

“Stubby?”  Vex hears Vax’s voice from underneath a pile of blankets.  Great, now she was hallucinating too. “Vex.” 

She pokes her head up over the covers.  

“Vax?”

“Yeah, Stubby.”  He sits down on the bed next to her.  “I got your bat signal, now I’m here. Come here.”  

Her brother’s scent fills her nostrils as he wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly.  

“Do you remember what you’re supposed to do in a panic attack?  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I remembered.”  Her breath is coming in evenly now.  “I’m okay.” 

“You don’t have to be okay, Stubby.”  He rubs her back. “It’s okay. Do you want me to kill that guy?  In all fairness, that’s what I came here to do.”

“Maybe kill him a little.”   Vex is numb, feeling slowly returning to her.  “Just a little though.” 

 

“How are you doing?”  Keyleth gently touches Percy’s shoulder.  “Thanks for calling.”

“I wish I hadn’t brought her here.”  Percy shakes his head. “It was a mistake.  And she had a panic attack because she went home.  We should leave today, just head for Whitestone.” 

“Vex does what she wants to do, never what someone wants her to do.”  Keyleth’s voice is cool and level, everything Percy wishes he could be in that moment but wasn’t.  Now, he was filled with white-hot rage, still in yesterday’s clothes, unshaven. “She’s wanted to come to see Velora for years, you know this.  Saundor was just… an unfortunate complication to a complex family visit. Vex is tough, she’ll pull through.”   
“What happened with Saundor?  I’ve never heard Vex mention him.”

“For good reason.”  Keyleth glances over to the shut white double doors that closed off Vex and Vax from the two of them.  “Vex doesn’t like talking about him. I don’t think either Vax or I even know the full extent of what happened. Syldor set the two of them up when Vex was... fifteen? Sixteen maybe.  He went to her cotillion as her escort and her father began to expect that the two of them would wed. Any wonder why he had Saundor come when Vex would be here with her fiance?”

“Bastard.”  Trinket plops his head down on Percy’s foot. 

“Saundor tried to actually get Vex for years.  The friendly conversation turned into flirting, when they got the closest to dating it turned into stalking, and then outright violence.  Fill in the blanks, you’re probably right. Once her mother died, she and Vax ran away, pickpocketing to get food and train tickets. Saundor bailed her out in Calais and paid her fines, but not Vax’s, and he wanted to be repaid.  She had nightmares for years even after leaving England.”

“Does Syldor know?”  Percy clenches his fist, his knuckles turning white. 

“I don’t know.  I wouldn’t put it past him to not care.”

“We should leave.”  

“We should do nothing of the sort.”  Vex holds her head high. She knows she looks a mess, pantsless with a blanket around her shoulders. Whatever.  Everyone here has seen her ass in one context or another. “Saundor’s party is Saturday, and we are all making an appearance.”

“Vex, you don’t have to show up,”  Percy takes her into his arms, keeping himself focused on her dark eyes.  

“I spent so long sleepless because of Saundor.”  She shakes her head. “I want payback for all he’s done to me, and you know, I really want to fucking trash his house.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”  Vax nods. “Let’s burn this motherfucking house to the ground.”  

* * *

“Recovered from your  _ jetlag _ , Vex’ahlia?”  Her father hardly looks up from his newspaper, seating in a lawn chair, as she exits the house.

“Quite.”  She says, curtly.  “Thought I’d go for a round of archery.  Care to join.” 

“Have you been practicing?”  He stands, sending a butler to retrieve his bow and quiver.  

“Oh, here and there.”  Vex slides her leather armguard on, pulling on the laces to draw it snugly against her arm.  Her old bow from high school was still here, newly restrung by her request. “ I’d like to know something.”  

“Care to wager?”  He asks.

“What do you want from me?”  Vex folds her arms. 

“Not information from you, no.”  Syldor sets the tip of his bow on the ground, resting both his hands atop it.  “Call it… investment in your life. If I win, you spend more time here with your  _ family _ , say… one month, every summer.   If you win, I’ll answer you truthfully, whatever you want to know.”  

She hesitates for a beat, looking her father in the eyes.  

“Five shots each,”  Vex remembers this, these dealings she’d make with her father.  “You decide the distance. Best total score wins.” 

“Set the target to 60 paces.”  He calls. “We shall see, then.”  

Smoothly, Syldor fires five arrows from his quiver, all of them clustered close to the center.  Vex nods. 

“Not bad.”  She eyes the target.  “Move the target back another 30, would you?”  

Syldor looks surprised.  

“Never said I had to fire at your distance.  I just have to win.”    
Vex takes a long breath, releasing her arrow on the exhale.  It sinks into the target with a dull thud, dead center, like she knew it would be.  

Her second arrow strikes against her father’s, splitting the shaft.  Her third arrow hits the target a hair to the left. Her fourth is a little higher than her first, still neatly in the center ring.  

“Seeing as I’ve won,”  Vex plays with the fletching of her fifth arrow, “Why don’t you tell me what I want to know?”  

“Ask away.”  He looks almost impressed.  

“Did you know Saundor was coming to see you?”  She draws back. “No, that’s the wrong phrasing.  I know you knew. My question is, did you plan him coming to see you when I would be here?”   

“Yes.”  He cocks his head.  “I’m surprised you didn’t know.”  

“I did.”  Vex looks him in the eyes.  “I wanted to believe you had some decency I hadn’t seen before.  And I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself before I made the natural conclusion.  Did you even care, about what that man did to me?” 

“Like when he bailed you out of prison, Vex’ahlia?”  He grits his teeth. “How he got you into NYU and put you on a plane?”  

“I did that, father.”  Vex lets go, not looking at the target.  She doesn’t have to check, she knows it hit its mark.  “Everything I did was no thanks to you, or to Saundor. And everything I do now?  That’s not for you either.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: that arrow scene at the end? Not in the first three drafts of Mistletoe and Whitestone 2! Second fun fact: this is draft number FIVE (why it's being posted later than I'd have liked!)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you liked this chapter by leaving a comment or hitting that kudos button! You can find me on Tumblr @zoetriestobecoolbutnope. Part Five goes up tomorrow, in which COMMUPANCE. IS. GOTTEN. 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	5. Light His Shit on FIRE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Bastard abuser, mentioned abuse, COMEUPPANCE IS GOTTEN. It's party time.

Revenge Dressing,  _ verb _ ; the art of making yourself look fucking hot to give your ex horny regret thoughts, best done by petty nobility and those they teach.  

Vex and Vax prided themselves on not keeping most of the skills their father taught them.  Keyleth has some fond and less fond memories of the twins competing on who could take up more space on their beat-up couch, who could chug more Mountain Dew in a minute, how fast each of them could eat an entire frozen deep-dish pizza on their own, and holding back long dark hair from both as they took turns vomiting pizza and neon green soda.  

But, in the act of fine dressing, the twins were unparalleled.  

Vax adjusts his cufflinks.  Never one to be outdone by his sister, he’s pulled out all the stops in a spotless black tux.  His long hair falls loose across his shoulders. Keyleth lightly bites on her pointer fingernail as she imagines her boyfriend as James Bond- when he wants to, he has the accent and everything.  

“Zip me up?”  Keyleth asks. His hands gently graze her back as he zips up her light grey dress.  She spins, letting the vintage-style skirts fly a little bit. She hadn’t brought a dress with them, but Vex had a copy of her father’s MasterCard and no troubles taking her out to buy the new dress with mesh overlay and floral inserts.  

“You wearing a tux, on a secret mission…”  Keyleth whispers, “Hello there, Mister Bond.”  

“Should I order a martini, shaken not stirred?”  

“Yeah.”  Keyleth bites her lip.  “You really should.” 

“How cute.  It’s about time you brought out the prom suit again, brother darling.”  Vex laughs. She glitters as she walks into the shared living room, her stiletto heels clicking on the hardwood floor.  Her dress highlights her every curve, covered in iridescent glitter from the waist up and along her draping sleeves that fall down to brush against her thighs.  

“I’d say we’re looking fairly nice,”  Percy’s playing the nobility card to the fullest extent, proudly sporting his navy blue Whitestone guard ceremonial uniform, with its dozen brass buttons polished to a mirror-like shine, and gold braided epaulets sitting neatly on his shoulders.  “Shall we?” 

 

Saundor’s family estate was virtually unchanged.  Vex was almost struck with another wave of vertigo as she walked past fountains and sculpted shrubbery.  She had a memory behind every corner in this house, most of them undesirable. 

_ “Just leave me alone,”   _ She had shouted at him by the fountain with waterlilies floating on top and gently bobbing up and down.   _ “I don’t fucking care what you think!”   _

_ “As if I’d let my woman go out dressed like that,”   _ He had pulled on her party dress, grabbing hold of her hair, pulling her into his face.   _ “Who are you trying to impress other than me, slut?” _

_ “I am not yours,”    _ She had whispered.  She wished she had shouted it.  

How dare the house remain unchanged.

Music shakes the house, dimly lit with swinging neon lights that reflect off of Vex’s glittery dress.  

“Whenever you want to leave, we leave,”  Percy says to her again. She wants to leave, never see this house again.  But more than that, she wants to hurt Saundor like he hurt her. Vex didn’t think she had that much power, but she could hurt him a little.  

“I want a drink.  Then we get to work.”  

 

 

Martini in hand, Vex’s agents of chaos get to work.  Keyleth pockets baubles and trinkets from shelves and wall alcoves, dropping them down toilets.  Vax trails behind her, using metallic sharpies to graffiti portraits of Saundor lining the walls.  Percy keeps his eye out for Saundor, with the ultimate goal of gutting him, or at the very least, kicking him swiftly in the nuts. Vex roams the halls, looking for Saundor’s closet.  The four-poster bed, unchanged from the last time she was in this room, gives her pause. 

_ “Dress like a slut, speak like a slut…”   _ His voice whispered,  _ “But all of a sudden, you’re a lady in the bedroom?” _

She shakes her head, moving with purpose to the closet, pulling Italian silk shirts and perfectly tailored suits and custom leather shoes out and onto the bed.  

_ “No, I see through you.  You’re just a whore.” _

Vex dumps out her flask on everything and begins to dig through her purse for a lighter.  

“I must say, I didn’t think you’d be this bold, luv.”

 

 

“I’m looking for his computer,”  Keyleth finds Percy on the dance floor.  “Help me?” 

“Find the stairs.”  Percy takes her hand, pushing through the crowd.  “Nobles and snooty people normally stick their offices where guests are encouraged to not be, so as to not air their dirty laundry all the time.”  

The winding smaller staircase leads them to a long hall of identical white doors with golden door knobs.  

“Anything locked is going to be worthwhile.”  Percy starts checking the knobs. The first few lead nowhere- closets, empty guest rooms.  

“Got one,”  Keyleth calls from the other side of the hall.  She pulls a bobby pin from her hair and starts to jimmy the lock.  “Vax taught me a thing or two.” 

After a few frustrating minutes and almost unlocking the door, Keyleth hears the click Vax told her to listen for.  The door swings open on well-oiled hinges, revealing a private study lined with books. 

“Let’s look for some secrets.”  Percy grins. 

 

 

“What did you think you were going to do with this?”  Saundor pulls the lighter from Vex’s hand, flicking it open and watching the open flame lick the air.  “Ruin some shirts? Did you think that would hurt me?”

Vex says nothing, biting her tongue.

“It’s alright, I forgive you,”  He snaps the lighter closed. “You’ve always been rather naughty, Vex.  Running away from your father, from me. Working when you could live like a queen with me, getting engaged to that two-bit royal from a lesser European country...”  His hand brushes her cheek. “We could be so much, Vex’ahlia, you could be so much more.”

“Get away from me.”  Vex pushes his hand away.  

“Go ahead,”  Saundor presses the lighter into her hand.  “Set it on fire.” 

 

 

“Have you seen Vex?”  Percy grabs a hold of Vax, halfway through blackening some of Saundor’s gold teeth and giving him devil horns.  

“She went to go set his shit on fire, upstairs.”  Vax caps his pen. “Why, what’s wrong?”

“There’s more to Saundor’s obsession with Vex than we thought,”  Keyleth hands him a printout of the nastier things they found on his computer.  “He’s been stalking her, watching her.”

“Commenting on her articles obsessively.”  Vax starts to run. “She’s in danger.”

 

 

“I  _ said _ ,”  Saundor growls, his vodka-scented breath hot on Vex’s face,  “ _ Light it on fire.” _

Vex places her hand on his chest, pushing him away from her.  “Stay away from me.” 

“Figures you wouldn’t play nice,”  Saundor brushes himself off, moving ever-closer to her.  

Vex doesn’t think.  She lets her fist fly, striking him square in the nose.  While his head tips back, she grabs his shoulders and knees him into the groin.   She shakes her hand, dripping with his blood, dark on her knuckles, dropping onto the wood floor.  Maybe it’ll stain. That’s a legacy in this house she wouldn’t mind having.

Saundor chokes, falling to the ground.  

“I said,”  She steps on his hand with her high heel, digging down harder than she needs to, “You fucking stay away from me.  I am not, and was never yours.” 

Her heels click as she walks away, throwing the lit lighter onto the bed as an afterthought.  She hears the whoosh of the flame igniting the alcohol, and she doesn’t look back. 

“Vex!”  Percy takes hold of her hand, looking her over.  “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine. Wasn’t very ladylike, but fine.  There might be some press blowback to worry about.”  She looks around at her friends, panting after seemingly running up the stairs.  “Why, what’s wrong?”

“Saundor’s been stalking you for years, that’s what.”  Vax hands her a sheet of computer paper. 

“There has to be some legal repercussion, right?”  Keyleth bites her lip. “Something to make sure he can’t keep watching her?”

“We’ll work something out on the plane,”  Percy affirms. “Let’s just get out of here first.”

“I’ve done what I wanted to do for the last… forever.  Let’s go, darling.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, and leaving likes and comments on the story thus far! Find me on Tumblr @zoetriestobecoolbutnope, and I hope to see you back here tomorrow for part six!


	6. Good Morning, Whitestone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for something lighter, mm? Here it is!

“Final checks!  We’re live in three, two, one!”  

“Good Morning Whitestone!  Live from Studio One in Whitestone, I’m Pike Trickfoot.”  Pike laces her fingers together on the countertop of the set desk. 

“And I’m Scanlan Shorthalt.”  Pike’s co-host flashes a glittering set of pearly-whites at her.  “Let me just say, we have a wonderful show for you this morning!” 

“As a reminder, all broadcasts are available with English and French subtitles, and be sure to check out our sister show, Bonjour Whitestone, airing at nine every weekday.”  Pike used to find being chipper before seven in the morning to be a challenge. After a few years of running Whitestone’s premier morning television show, she was getting used to it.  “First up today, we’ll be running through the latest updates from Parliament.” 

Scanlan turns back to the teleprompter.  “We’ll also review the top news from the past week, and take a look at upcoming weather and traffic.”

“Be sure to tune back in at nine today for an exclusive interview with the Queen-Elect Cassandra Johanna von Musel Klossowski de Rolo, where we’ll go over her policy plans, her upcoming Coronation and subsequent marriage of her brother, King-Regent Percival de Rolo to his long-term fiance Vex’ahlia Vessar.  That’s all next up on Good Morning Whitestone!” 

“And we’re at commercial!” 

“Been a long week.” Pike exhales, taking a big swig of her coffee.  “Any plans for the weekend, Shorthalt?”

“Might scare something up.”  He winks. 

“You’re impossible.  I’m free for dinner tomorrow at seven.  Don’t be late.” 

“We’re live again in three, two, one, now!” 

“Welcome back to Good Morning Whitestone!”  Scanlan straightens the blank papers on the desk.  “First, a recap of the week’s news. In preparation for ascending to the throne, Queen-Elect Cassandra de Rolo was in attendance at Parliamentary Sessions on the budget and internal social policies this week, proposing her own bill advocating for heightened gender equality and advocacy for women in STEM fields. The Queen-Elect has long been a proponent of girls’ education, and has been a personal sponsor to ten lucky young women in Europe for the Whitestone Educational Summit for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.” 

“King Percival de Rolo is returning this week from a diplomatic visit to the United Kingdom with his fiance Vex’ahlia Vessar.  A heightened trade deal and post-Brexit travel agreement are expected to emerge within the next few weeks following the state visit.  We will be talking more about the expected agreements and STEM advances with the Queen-Elect later this morning. First, the weather.  Don?”

“Thank you Pike,”  Don starts his report on the traffic and weather.  

“Set change on stage one,”  Pike and Scanlan step away from the desk sliding off camera, and take their typical positions on the blue couch used for guests.  “Back to this stage in five.” 

“Italian?”  Scanlan takes a sip of coffee.  “Or French, maybe?”

“Italian is good.”  Pike cracks her neck.  “I don’t want my breath to smell too good.”

“You always smell great, Pikey-poo.”  

“Pikey-poo?”  

“Royal on the set,”  

“Oh, shit.”  Pike stands, extending her hand to Cassandra.  “Your Highness, it’s an honor to have you on the show.”  

“My pleasure.”  Cassandra smiles, rolling her wheelchair next to the couch.  “You’re doing me the favor by helping me promote these initiatives- publicity is the best way to ensure they keep doing what they should be doing.”  

“We’re live in five, four, three, two, now!”

“Good Morning Whitestone!”  Pike chirps for the third of approximately one million times.  “We are honored to have Queen-Elect Cassandra on the show this morning.”

“Thank you for having me!”

“You are about to become the youngest regent Whitestone has had in recent history,”  Pike flips to her first cue card. “How do you think this will affect your reign?”

“That’s a great question.”  Cassandra pauses for a moment.  “As of this moment, Whitestone is beginning an immense growth in youth activism and youth interest in government.  It is my great pride to have the job of accurately representing all of Whitestone’s citizens, from the youngest up, and I look forward to encouraging more young citizens into caring about their government and the EU government as a whole.”

“Tell us more about your STEM initiatives.”  Scanlan nods a little in agreement. “What do you think the value of young women in these fields is?”

“Really, it goes hand in hand with valuing the voices of the youth,”  Cassandra is settling into her groove. “During the first few years of my reign, I plan on expanding Whitestone’s tech industry capabilities.  As we look to the future, we can see that life on Earth is changing drastically, and we need to either change ourselves, our policy, our companies, or all of the above to continue living here.  I am hopeful we can do this, and that we can do this thanks to the brilliant young women I have had the pleasure to sponsor through the first annual Whitestone Educational Summit for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.”  

“Taking that into account,”  Pike really likes her. She’s a spitfire, more than what could be said about some previous politicians she’s interviewed.  “What would you like to tell the young women who may be watching you this morning?” 

“For years, people told me and my friends to not join the robotics club, or the shop club, or the computer club, because ‘girls don’t do that.’ So, we did the logical thing.  We built a better robot, and tore theirs to shreds.” Cassandra looks into the cameras. “Then, we shared the code we used that worked better, the engineering we came up with, the parts we built.  Trust me, there is nothing that ‘girls don’t do.’ And most of the time, we do it better.” 

“Now, you’ve been known to have a bit of fun in your spare time.  There’s a rumor going around that you like to spend some time on the online video game Overwatch.”  Scanlan winks. 

Cassandra laughs a hearty laugh that fills the studio.  

“That’s true, although I have been cutting back my game hours as I’ve worked on different initiatives.”

“Who do you main as?”  Pike chuckles. 

“Symmetra, of course!”  Cassandra grins. “I have to support my girls in STEM, even in fictional fields!”  

“Now, we’re all dying to know- how involved are you in the planning of the wedding of your brother, the Regent, to his long-term fiance?”

“Of course, it’s their day.”  Cassandra winks. “But I am helping here and there.  They’re a wonderful couple, most of the planning does itself.”  

“It has been such a pleasure talking with you!”  Pike shakes her hand. “The Queen-Elect will be taking the throne at the end of the summer, and the Whitestone STEM summit will take place this winter.  Be sure to tune in later this morning when our health reporter Sabine takes us through a tour of the best vegan and vegetarian options available in Whitestone.”

“Oh, I hear she brought cake!”  Scanlan flashes his pearly-whites again.  “For Channel One, I’m Scanlan Shorthalt.” 

“And I’m Pike Trickfoot.  We’ll be back with more Good Morning, Whitestone after this commercial break.”  

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I honestly read the entire Wikipedia page for “Breakfast Television” to see if it had a format I should seek to copy? Yes. Not even the strangest thing I’ve looked for on Wikipedia.   
> Thanks for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting! Be sure to stick around for part seven, going up tomorrow! 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	7. The Mile-High Club

There was blood in her engagement ring.  It was far and away her favorite piece of jewelry.  One of the Whitestone crown jewels, nonetheless. Gold band, two diamonds on either side of a teardrop sapphire.  Now Saundor’s blood was crusted around it. She didn’t want to take it off. 

They had left within the hour of Saundor’s party ending.  Without taking time to change their shoes, Percy had gotten them onto the plane and in the air.  Which is how Vex wound up in the bathroom of the plane, changing into something more relaxed for the two-hour flight from London to Whitestone, and staring at the blood in the crevices of her engagement ring.  

Vex runs it under the tap.  The water chips at some of the dried dark blood, but leaves the diamonds on the sides still a strange pinkish tone.  

Enough.  She lets the sparkly dress fall to the ground, puddling around her feet.  She kicks off her heels, letting the cool tiled floor greet her bare, cramped toes.  She lets herself breathe, putting on a pair of sweatpants and one of Vax’s band tees.  She splashes her face with water, removes her eyeshadow, braids back her hair, slides on a pair of fuzzy socks. 

“How are you, dear?”  Percy squeezes her hand as she takes her seat.  

“Saundor’s blood got into my engagement ring.”  The words come out of her matter-of-factly, almost robotic.

“We’ll take care of it.”  She leans her head against his shoulder, tucking her feet up next to her.  Trinket snores, half under her seat, half sticking out like a large furry ottoman.  

“Was it real?”  She asks. 

“Was what real?”

“My title,”  Vex yawns. She’d slept so much over the past four days, but she couldn’t feel anything other than tired.  “Was that real or just something to get Saundor to shut up?”

“That, my dear, was very, very real.”  He pulls a blanket over her. “And completely, 100% yours.  But we’ll go over this later. For now, just sleep.”

 

“Do you think she’ll be okay?”  Keyleth plays with the hem of her grey party dress.  It was a shame, really, that something so beautiful was purchased for such an ugly event.  The party, though a win (maybe?) for them and for Vex, had stained it so much Keyleth didn’t know if she would ever feel beautiful in it again.  So she was wearing it as long as she could, to save it from its unfortunate fate of gathering dust in the back of her closet. 

Her head rests on the soft fabric of Vax’s dress shirt, partially unbuttoned, black satin bow tie lying untied across his chest.  

“I don’t know.  I don’t think she knows.”  Vax’s fingers lace through hers.  “But I hope so.” 

“Do you remember the first time we met?”  Keyleth smiles at the memory. “You were hot off a plane, I was in a towel…”   
“How could I forget?”  He laughs. “I looked like a complete hot mess, which happens when you fly out of Heathrow on the cheapest flight you can find.”

“You looked fine.”  Keyleth elbows him. “Vex had the wrong time, so she told me you were coming.  She did not say you would land four hours earlier, hence the towel. And then, you opened that smartass mouth of yours and introduced yourself.  Like a fool, I was not expecting the accent. Vex introduced me as her roommate, the cherry tomato. And THEN, you said...” 

“People do speak in the States, right?” He kisses her head.  “You were wonderful, Keyleth. I fell in love with you that day.”  

“I didn’t,”  Keyleth says, matter of factly. Vax snorts, spraying a sip of water out his nose.  She hands him a napkin, laughing. “Smooth. I mean it. Your smart ass pushed you back a few years.”

“Well then.  I hope you know I intend to be with you until the end.”  

Keyleth pauses.  

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean,”  Vax runs his hand through his long hair, tucking it behind his ear.  “When all Vex’s wedding things are said and done, I want to marry you, Keyleth.  I don’t want to step on her toes, and I want to make my grand romantic gesture, but I also want you to know.  I love you, more than I’ve loved anyone.” 

“I love you too, Vax.”  She smiles, her nose wrinkling a little in the way Vax loves so much, causing ripples in the constellation of freckles on her face.  “And I’ll say yes, for the record. Assuming your grand romantic gesture is grand and romantic enough.” 

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”  Vax’s heart is singing. “Let’s not do what they did.”

“Mmhm, I would have ended it if my engagement lasted five years.”  Keyleth yawns. “Good thing they’re tying the knot.” 

Keyleth’s eyes wander over to Percy and Vex, leaning on each other, fast asleep.  

“You still have that dress on.”  Vax rubs her arm. “Don’t you want to take that off?”

“You still have that tux on, 007.”  Keyleth winks. “Do you want to come take it off me?”  

“In the airplane bathroom?”  Vax is a little scandalized. 

“They’re asleep.  It’s just us.” Keyleth stands, pulling Vax to his feet.  “Let’s be daring, Mister Bond.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today- I promise there are some longer ones on the horizon! Thank you so much for reading, liking, and commenting on this fic so far! 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	8. Cassandra's End Of The World As We Know It Party

“It’s so lovely to see you, Vex.”  Cassandra’s words make her melt. While she was stuck with her family, not one of them actually thought it was nice to see her.  “And not just because you’ve brought my brother back so I can have a few more days of not actually being Queen.”   
“It’s not too much for you, Cassandra?”  Percy gives his sister a peck on the cheek.  “You know, the council was ready to extend my reign for a little longer to give you more ti- ow!”

Cassandra rolls her chair back.  “Sorry, didn’t see your foot there.”

“You little shit–”  

“Vax!  A pleasure to see you again.”  Cassandra moves past her brother, rubbing at his foot.  “And you must be Keyleth! I’ve heard so much about you, from Vex and Vax.”

“So nice to meet you!”  Keyleth shakes her hand.  

“Right,”  Cass swivels around, addressing the group.  “Your bags are in the usual rooms. There are a few things scheduled for the next few days, not a lot.  The coronation is officially happening this Sunday, so there are some rehearsal things Percy and Vex need to attend.  There will be an unofficial party this Friday you should all come to.”

“What sort of party?”  Vex asks. 

“A rager.”  Cassandra raises an eyebrow.  “There’s a lot changing around here.  I’m about to be Queen, and both of you completely failed to plan bachelor parties.  So we’re going to get drunk one last time, or I will go batshit insane.” 

You could have Cassandra in charge of a country, or put her through four years of university.  Still, she has a streak for chaos-bringing. 

“We’ll be there,”  Keyleth says with a kindred look in her eye.  

Whitestone had become home over the last five years Vex had spent there on and off.  It helped that she’d had sex with Percy in some… risky places. But here, there were memories behind every spot in the castle.  There was the courtyard, where she’d split an arrow in half to show off. There was a multitude of paintings he’d shown her, one of his parents where he told her he loved her for the first time.  There was the Ming vase Cassandra had found them making out behind directly after she’d told him she loved him too. 

That summer and the ones that followed had become the best years of her life.  She wasn’t the most popular choice for a future Lady de Rolo of the Third House of Whitestone, but Percy didn’t care.  Vex loved being the kind-of Queen by Percy’s side, and she’d gotten good at it fairly quickly. She was still more than happy to surrender it to Cassandra.  

After her father, after Saundor, Vex didn’t know if she’d be okay, let alone happy.  She’d landed in New York at eighteen, terrified and more alone than she’d ever been in her entire life.  At any moment, Syldor could decide to stop paying for her tuition. Saundor could get on a plane and be in her dorm room. Vax could get stuck, unable to come and be there with her.   Being back there, with Saundor breathing down her neck, brought her back to that utter loneliness. 

Yet here she was.  

She was daring to be happy.  She was loved. 

It wasn’t like Saundor’s party, not in the slightest.  Cassandra had invited her college friends, Percy called a few people he knew.  The nobility and the press were most certainly not there unless you counted Vex and Keyleth.  Vex couldn’t really remember the last party she wore a tank top and jeans to, probably because she and Keyleth got very drunk in someone’s dorm at NYU.  

Despite being in the ballroom of Whitestone Castle, she almost felt… normal.  Percy looked like just another young man, in a leather jacket and white tee shirt.  Cassandra hadn’t decorated much, only tacked up a handmade banner declaring “THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.”  It felt significantly post-apocalyptic. Red plastic solo cups full of different alcohol dot the room. Music blared from speakers on the floor. 

Her stomach was churning, maybe from the week prior, maybe some stomach bug.  Vex decided to take it easy on the booze- after all, her life wasn’t about to become more responsible and respectable, unlike Cassandra.  

“KIKI!”  Vex downs the rest of her soda and shouts across the not crowded room.  “YOU AND VAX AND ME AND PERCY, DANCE OFF.”

“YOU’RE ON!”  

Keyleth took Vax’s hand, pulling him to the center of the dance floor.  Despite this not strictly being a bachelor/bachelorette party, she had gotten a few white sashes declaring her and Vax to be part of “Team Bride.”

“CASS, PUT ON SOMETHING GREAT.”  Keyleth shouts. 

Lorde’s Royals starts to play, rhythm shaking the dance floor.  

“Apt lyric choice,”  Percy whispers. 

“Shh.  Focus on winning.”  Vex drapes her arms over his shoulders.  “And lead.” 

Her hips sway to the beat, Percy’s hands swinging with her.  His hands lift her and she spins. 

 

The song comes to an end, and Vax takes her hand this time, waltzing with her along the floor.  

“You’re getting married soon,”  Vax whispers. 

“It’s been in the works for years, Vax.”  She smiles. Despite being more or less sober, she still swayed quite a bit from the few drinks she’d knocked back. 

“And it’s happening, Stubby.  In like a month.”

From the corner of her eye, Vex notices Keyleth cornering her fiance.  

“I know.”  She kisses his cheek as the song ends.  “I love you, and I’m glad… I’m glad it's you walking me down the aisle, not fucking Syldor.”  

 

“Hey bestieeeeee,”  Keyleth plunks her shoulder on Vex’s shoulder, slurring her words already.  “Let's mmmm… DANCE. Yes. Let’s danceee.” 

“Okay.”  Keyleth pulls Vex away from Vax.  Cassandra changes the music to a more upbeat song Vex can’t quite recognize.  She swings her hips, flinging her arms over her head wildly. 

“Hey, I’m happy we’re still best friends,”  Keyleth places her arms on Vex’s shoulders. “Even after all this time, and all that’s changing… it’s still you and me against, - _ hic _ \- like, the world.”

“World isn’t really against us anymore, Kiki.”  Vex grins. “I’m glad too. I love you, like so much.”  

She starts to tear up a little.  

“Hey hey hey, no crying.”  Keyleth kisses her cheek, her long red hair brushing against Vex’s shoulders.  “Mmkay. By the way, I am getting you the BEST wedding present.” 

“Keyleth, shouldn’t that stay a secre-”

“SHHhHHHH.”  Keyleth presses a finger against Vex’s lips. “Don’t talk about it it's a SECRET, Vex.”

“Okay, sweetie.”  Vex pushes some of Keyleth’s wild hair behind her ear.  “Go get some water, hm?” 

“Okay.”  Keyleth kisses her other cheek.  “I LOVE YOU. VAX I NEED WATER.”

Vex laughs.  The song comes to an end. A fast-paced tango starts to pulse through the room.

“HEY PERCY, GET YOUR SEXY ASS ON THE DANCE FLOOR.”

Vex wraps her leg around Percy, her foot tracing the inner side of his calf.  

“Hi.  I love you.”  She whispers, salt and lime on her breath. 

“Hi.  I love you too.”  He spins her under his arm, dipping her low to the ground.  She stops dancing to kiss him, soft and sloppy and tasting a little like tequila and gin.  

“We’re getting married.”   She giggles. 

“We are.”  He laughs. “We spent so long planning, it almost slipped my mind that I’m marrying you, Vex.”

“THIS IS GONNA BE MY HUSBAND!”  Vex shouts. “THIS DUMBASS RIGHT HERE.  TAKE A GOOD LOOK, CAUSE IN A MONTH, THAT ASS IS ALL MINE.”   
“This ass is already yours.”  

“SHhhhhH.”  

 

The whole event probably looked kinda dumb, in hindsight.  A group of tipsy people in their late twenties, dancing like they thought they were the best in the world and drinking like tomorrow would never come.  

At the end of the night, it was just the four of them, slow dancing to Disney and humming softly.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Notes:   
> Vex and Keyleth’s song: New Rules, Dua Lipa  
> Vex and Percy’s second slow dance: Next to Me, Imagine Dragons  
> Other songs Cass most certainly played: Country Roads, Take me Home; Galway Girl, Ed Sheeran; Glorious, Macklemore; Crush, Tessa Violet; One Day More, Les Mis; Seasons of Love, RENT; And at Last I See the Light, Tangled  
> Thanks for reading thus far! See you tomorrow for part nine! 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	9. Big Day, Big Fucking Day

Vex had seen Percy in many different situations.  She’d seen him in different suits, wearing crowns or shaking hands with different world leaders.  She’d seen him when he thought he wouldn’t be able to keep on ruling, and on days when he worried for when that burden would pass to Cassandra.  Today was a beautiful mix of all those Percy’s; dignified and ready, but still worried and happy holding her hand.

This morning, he had put on the crown for the last time.  The brass buttons of his formal coat shine under the low light of the hall just to the side of the ballroom.  Vex smooths each one, making sure the ornaments are all in the right place.

“You look lovely, my dear.”  He looks a little weary.

Vex does a small half spin in her staff-approved tea length cream dress.  The tight satin bodice and sleeves keep her from raising her arms higher than just short of 90 degrees from her side.  She loops her arm through his, giving his ass a quick smack.

“You too.  Let’s go, darling.”  

The double doors open before them, and they walk before a crowd of people, clapping politely.  Vex smiles, Percy waves. (She would also wave, but has been instructed not to, lest she rip a seam in the precariously tight dress.)  It hadn’t been this tight when she’d had a fitting a few months ago. She was bloated in all sorts of weird ways, which was not how one wanted to feel on the coronation of your future sister-in-law.  

 

“Presenting, Regent of Whitestone, King Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski De Rolo III, and his fiance, Lady Vex’ahlia Vessar, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt and Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone.”  

“You made it official,”   The newly titled Lady Vex’ahlia whispers.  

“Cass did.”  Percy smiles.  

Percy and Vex come to a stop at the center of the ballroom.  From the other side, another set of doors opens.

“Now Announcing, Queen-Elect Cassandra Johanna von Musel Klossowski de Rolo.”

Cassandra rolls down the aisle, a footman pushing her.   When she reaches the center, the footman moves to her side, providing her support as she stands in public for the first time since the accident that took their king, queen, and heir apparent, and takes her position kneeling by the Prime Minister.  

Percy grins, his heart swelling with pride.  He kneels next to her, giving his sister’s hand a quick squeeze.

"Nice show you put on there."  He whispers.  

"Shut up, it's my coronation day."  

“Queen-Elect Cassandra Johanna von Musel Klossowski de Rolo, do you swear fealty to Whitestone, to protect her, honor her, serve her, and celebrate her always?”  The script hasn’t changed from the prior oaths Vex has listened to before this one.

“I do.”  Her voice rings clear, with not even the slightest waver.  She's ready. 

“Do you accept the responsibility and civic duties of the throne of Whitestone?”  

“I do.”

The Prime Minister lifts the crown from Percy.  

“If anyone should protest this action, speak now or forever hold your peace.”  

Vex holds her breath.  She didn’t think anyone would speak against Cassandra, but she hadn’t thought that about Percy too…

Blessedly, the room remains silent.  The heavy crown settles on the greyed temples of Cassandra, to a great celebration from the room.  

“Now Announcing, Queen Cassandra Johanna von Musel Klossowski de Rolo, first of her name, Regent of Whitestone.”  

Vex cheers as Cass rises again before taking a seat in the throne, her deep red dress pooling around her.  She looks different than she had before, less like a new college graduate, more regal. Her smile is the same- part joy, part mischief, only partly disguising the worry and grief Vex knows she still feels over the loss of her parents and sister. They'd talked about this- about how Cassandra hates that she's the first queen of Whitestone, not Vesper, who was so ready, so wonderful, who wouldn't have fought as much with the councils and advisors and parliament.

 

The party begins shortly after, a return to formal visits far and away from Cass’ End of the World Party just a few days ago.  Vex munches idly on some crab puff thing, completely starving. She’d been told to not eat in her incredibly stain-prone dress, and she’d done that for the most part.  She was not going to do that with the smell of crab and chocolate in the air.

“How are you feeling, Lord Percival?”  She wraps her hand around her fiance’s waist as he takes a bite of a seared scallop.  

“I told Cass- the Queen- she didn’t have to stick with the title.  But she’s stubborn- Hey.”

Vex gives Percy pitiful eyes as she finishes eating his scallop.  She pulls a toothpick from her mouth.

“I haven’t eaten anything.”  She says, swallowing the scallop.  “And it smells so so good…”

“I love you.”  He laughs. “Let’s go get some more seafood you aren’t supposed to eat.  How are you feeling, other than hungry?”

“I’m so happy for her.”  Vex’s nose catches wind of oysters.  She pulls Percy in the direction of the appetizers.  “And not just because I get you to myself more often now.  I think she’s going to be an amazing queen, honestly.”

“I hope I don't let you down, Vex.”  Cass is a ninja, despite returning to her wheelchair.   She is flanked by a footman bearing a tray of champagne flutes.  “Cheers.”

“To the de Rolos,”  Vex takes a champagne flute, tapping it gently against Cass and Percy’s.  “The family I never thought I would get, didn’t think I deserved, and can’t wait to officially become a part of.  Even if that means I’m facing a stamp or ten of my face in the near future.”

“Oh, you’ll be lucky with ten,”  Cass says. Vex does a spit take with her champagne.  

“PARDON ME?”  She coughs.   
“Oh, how lovely, look Vex its pears, and some soft cheese,”  Percy pulls her away from his laughing sister.

“More than ten?”  She takes a bite of fruit.  “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”  

“Percy,”  She sets down her barely-touched flute of champagne.  “I need to talk with you, about something more serious than stamps.”

“Yes, of course.  Do you want to go somewhere more private?”

“Here is good, I can be discreet.”  Vex takes hold of his hand. “What’s going to happen with Saundor?”

“I assure you, he cannot assault a Whitestone noble without some consequence.”  Percy nods. “So I may have had our diplomats in the country get ahold of him, and lie.”

“About what?”

“That he was invited to the coronation as an apology.  Don’t worry, he’s not actually here.” Percy explains. “See, I needed to have him in our boundaries in order to actually do something he’d take seriously.  So when his plane landed, our welcome people gave him a talking to, nothing serious. They may have mentioned our non-extradition policies with regards to certain crimes, including sexual assault and stalking of one of our nobles.  And gave him a choice- cut ties with you and Whitestone completely, or see the ugly end of our criminal justice system.”

“I don’t know how to feel.”  Vex rests her arms on the tall table they’ve claimed.  “Thank you, Percy. For protecting me, for bringing Vax to me when I needed him, for my title.”  

“Thanks are not needed.  I love you.” He kisses her hand.  “Your enemies are mine, and if I can take them out with a little _diplomacy_ or pretentious nobility, I will.  Seeing as those are the weapons I currently have at my disposal.”

“There is one other thing.”  Vex swallows hard. “I’m late.”

“Late to what…”  Percy trails off.  

Vex nods down, his eyes flick down to her midriff.  “Oh. Oh! Vex!”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”  She bites her lip. “Just a few days.  But I thought you should know. And I wanted to make sure that everything with Saundor and my family was dealt with so that it wasn’t dangling over my head as well as a possible…”  

“I’m glad, Vex, really.”  He smiles, pulling her closer to him, leaning down for a kiss.  “And if not now, then later.”

“It’s really too soon to say, Percy.”  She laughs.

“Then we won’t worry!”  He declares. “For now, let’s have fun with a secret.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) This was a fun one! (Can you tell I'm seeding for the future?) Thanks so much for reading and sticking around thus far. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for part TEN! 
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	10. Brother Knows Best

“Final checklist time,”  Vax slides next to Vex at breakfast.  “Cassandra’s making me do half under the impression that you won’t be able to push it off if I, your brother ask you.”

“Fine.”  Vex sets down her mug of green tea.  “Let's get this done.” 

“First up.  Early stuff:  Officiant, Photographer, Music?”  Vax picks at her chocolate croissant.  

“Done a while ago.”  Vex slaps his hand away, taking a proper bite. She speaks through a flaky mouthful.  “Cassandra is officiating, she gets to do that, she’s the Queen- she didn’t need to put that on the list.  We have hired a photographer, confirmed with her three weeks ago. And the Whitestone Philharmonic has been contracted to play at the ceremony and reception.”

“Check, check, and check.”  Vax flicks his pen across the list.  “Okay. Dress, Registry, Cake?”

“Yes to all.”  Vex takes a peek at his list.  “All done months ago. I have things to do, walk with me?”

“Alright,”  Vax follows her as she moves from the dining room through different hallways, checking her phone.  “Menus?”

“You know the menus, that’s the one wedding thing you were nagging me on.”  Since their confrontation with Saundor, her negative comments have dropped, nowhere near to stopping altogether, but better than before.  

“Mm, yes.  Game hens and berry reduction.”  Vax checks another box off his list.  “Seating chart?”

She gestures to the wall of Percy’s office, covered with the meticulously planned reception seating chart.  “Anything else?”

“Vows, honeymoon planning?”

“Both done, both ready.  I am almost all packed, should be well before the ceremony.”  Vex leans against the desk, putting away her phone. 

“Darling, sorry to interrupt,”  Percy leans in the open door frame, “But we have that appointment, you know, with the…”

“Wedding planner, yes.”  She grabs her blazer from its place draped over a chair.  “We’ll go over the rest later, Vax?” 

“Yeah, sure.”  

“You are an awful liar, Percy,”  Vex whispers as she takes his arm out of earshot of Vax.  

“Well, good thing we’re finding out if we need to keep lying, and for how long.”  

 

The car ride to the obstetrician’s office was maybe the longest fifteen-minute car ride of her life.  The subsequent wait in the baby-blue waiting room adorned with frosted glass windows and white leather sofas and pamphlets on pregnancy and childbirth was even longer, though her watch showed it only lasted another ten minutes.  From there, she waited with Percy in a separate room, stirrups on the exam table looming ominously. 

“Should we have done a home pregnancy test?”  Vex runs her hand along her thigh. 

“Maybe.  Doesn’t quite matter now, I don’t think.  Hey, I love you.” Percy squeezes her hand.

“Me too.  I just didn’t think we’d be here quite so soon.”  

“Okay, Lord de Rolo and Lady Vessar.”  The doctor walks through the door, closing it softly behind her.  “I’m Doctor Vysoren.”

“Do you have the results?”  Percy bites his lip. 

“Urine and blood tests are both positive for elevated levels of hCG, indicating that you are most likely pregnant.  Congratulations!” 

“Ahhh.”  A soft semi-panicked noise emits itself from Vex’s vocal cords.  

“Let’s do an ultrasound, it’ll let us see exactly how far along you are.”  She snaps on a pair of blue latex gloves and takes a seat next to her. Vex slides up her blouse, exposing her belly.  

This moment doesn’t last forever like all the waiting had.  Rather, from the moment the cool gel hit her stomach on the ultrasound wand, and the fuzzy images of her organs came into view, time seemed to speed up.  

“Alright, here we are.”  Doctor Vysoren points out shapes on the monitor.  “Here is the head, torso… Judging by the size, I’d say anywhere from six to eight weeks.  And a second head here… you’re pregnant with twins!”    
“TWO?”  Vex is fairly Percy’s exclamation can be heard outside of the OB’s office, down the block, and perhaps in the palace, city….  The whole country of Whitestone might know that she’s knocked up with not one, but two babies.  Somewhere, birds fly off into the distance, startled by the shriek made by her husband-to-be.

“I guess it does run in the family.”  Vex looks at her torso. “Bloody hell, Percy.  Two of them.” 

“Now, our office will stay in contact with you and get you a schedule of appointments.”  Doctor Vysoren hands Percy a folder. “This is most of what you should know, other than picking up a book on parenting.  As for you, Vex, you need to relax. I understand you’re getting married soon?”

“Yes, in just under a month.”  She folds her arms over her stomach.  

“Try and avoid any stressful situations, leaving more of that up to your wedding planner.  You should start taking a prenatal vitamin, you’re a little low on vitamin B from your blood tests.  From now on, also limit any consumption of raw seafood, unpasteurized cheese, caffeine, and alcohol. Generally, if it’s cooked well and in a clean location, you should be able to eat it.”

“What about pregnancy cravings?”  Percy flips through the pamphlets.  “Peanut butter, pickles, an entire Alaskan king crab?”

Vex smacks Percy's arm.  "Percy."

“All fairly standard.”  She laughs. “Expect a strong appetite increase, you’re eating for three now!  We’ll see you again in a few weeks.” 

“Thank you, Doctor.”  

“Twins.”  Vex doesn’t know whether to cry or laugh.  “Of course it was going to be two.”

“We can handle this.”  Percy helps her to stand.  “You and me, we’re going to handle this so well.”  

“Percy, we have so much to do!”  Vex shrugs her jacket back on. “Will my wedding dress still fit in a month? We have to rebook the honeymoon, somewhere closer.  And what about Zika?”

“Darling, we’re nowhere close to Zika.”  Percy takes hold of her shoulders, rubbing her back.  “The dress can be altered. And I’ll call to move the honeymoon today.”

“And what about when they come?”  Vex takes a shaky deep breath in. “Vax and I were absolute menaces.  My mother could barely handle us, how are we going to raise twins?” 

“But you’re not alone.  And we’re not alone, Vex.”  He reminds her. “We have people willing to help us, in New York and Whitestone.”

“And my job?”  

“I am no longer formally employed year round.  I’m needed in Whitestone for only six months out of the year.  Our plan doesn’t need to change, we’ll spend six months in New York, or Paris, or wherever you are reporting.  I’ll take care of the kids, and you can go change the world. And this doesn’t need to get worked out all at once, darling.  You heard the doctor, you need rest and less caffeine and copious amounts of peanut butter.” 

“I don’t need copious amounts of peanut butter.”  Vex is betrayed by her rumbling stomach. “Maybe a burger.” 

 

“Ready for part two of the checklist?”  Vax sneaks up on Vex again, as she’s midway through her cheeseburger, graciously made by the fancy palace chef only slightly confused by her request.  

“Mghhh.”  She swallows.  “Why do you always sneak up on me when I’m eating?”

“It’s the only time I can get you.  Good meeting with your wedding planner?”  

“Yes.”  Vex munches on a french fry.  “Go over the list, I have another fitting for my dress.”

“Any reason why you’re eating a bacon cheeseburger before that?”  

“I’m hungry.”  She grumbles. “Go.”  

“Rings?”

“Fancy formal rings are coming from the Whitestone crown jewel collection, Percy and I also ordered less extravagant versions to wear more regularly.” 

“Baby things?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”  Vax tucks the list under his arm, tapping the pen against his leg.  “Baby things.”

“Seriously, Vax?”  Vex laughs. “You know both Percy and I are waiting on starting a family right now.”  

“Yeah, and it looks like an egg from you and a sperm from him had other thoughts… about six weeks ago?”  He raises an eyebrow. “There’s plenty of evidence. Firstly, you’ve been on the extended birth control cycle for about three or so years.  A method which is not fully effective all the time, especially considering you are a woman at peak fertility–”

“Ew.”

“Travelling between time zones often. Secondly, note pregnancy symptoms. You’ve been wearing loose clothing- not an attempt to disguise your growing stomach, it’s too early for that, but to avoid irritating your breasts, which I have no doubt, are sore.”

“Double ew.  Please stop.”  

“Not to mention the fatigue, and the fact that I know you got Percy to find you peanut butter- something you did not eat very much- known as a common pregnancy craving.  And the burger you are shoving in your face, plus the green tea you switched your coffee for. Ergo, you, Vex’ahlia, are pregnant. There was no meeting with the wedding planner, I called her to confirm flowers and she answered twenty minutes ago.  You were meeting with an OBGYN.” 

“Who else have you shared your theory with?”  Vex crosses her arms. 

“Nobody, yet.”  

“Good.  It’s too early.”  She takes another bite.  “I’m mad you figured this out. Wanted it to be a surprise.  I also wanted to be able to have champagne at my wedding, and not have to alter my dress again, and actually wait, I don’t know, maybe a year or ten before thinking about a kid, let alone two.”

“Wait, what?”  Vax shakes his head.  “Two- you’re pregnant with twins?”

“Seems like you can’t deduce everything, Shitbird.  I am trying, very hard to be zen. If you are going to freak, do it somewhere else.  And by the way, if you do ever get around to procreation with Keyleth-”

“Ew.”

“You’ve said many a gross thing in the past fifteen minutes.  I’m entitled to this. You can expect two buns in the oven instead of one.  Runs in the family and all that.” 

“Well, that’s the full list.  I’ll let Cassandra know everything’s good on this end of things.”  Vax stands, planting a kiss on her head. “I love you, Stubby. And I’m so, so happy for you and Percival.”  

“Hey!  Don’t you fucking cry.”  She smacks his arm gently.  “I’m supposed to be the emotional puddle, not you.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have little De Rolo(s) confirmation! Part eleven airs tomorrow- getting close to the end. Let me know what you'd like to see in a (likely) Part Three of this series! Thank you so much for sticking around this long! 
> 
> XOXO,   
> Just


	11. The Wedding

Most events, Vex got ready with Percy by her side, bustling in and out of rooms, him looking for cufflinks, her looking for earrings or a particular shoe.  Which is why, on the brisk late summer, early fall morning, it felt so weird to be getting ready without him stealing glances at her from the other side of their bedroom, so weird to not watch him polish his glasses and comb his hair.  Somewhere, he was feeling the same way she was.  Honestly, it sucked to be apart.  

Vex fired off a quick text to Percy. 

_Getting ready now, you'd best be prepared for your smoking hot fiance_

_Can't wait.  I love you.  Is it normal how much I miss you????_ He spammed her phone with heart emojis.

_It's been two hours.  Me too._

She wasn’t alone, by any means.  Both Vax and Keyleth were there, Vax running a brush through her hair, and Keyleth brewing a tea to help curb the irritating presence of morning sickness.  

“Try a sip of this one,”  Keyleth pressed the warm mug into her hands.  “I tweaked it from last time- more lemongrass, added raspberry leaf, and removed the honey.”  

“Thanks, Kiki.”  She took a careful sip of the warm drink that slipped down her throat, soothing her stomach.   “How are we doing for time?”

“You still have an hour for hair and makeup, then we get the dress on you, and make our way to the chapel,” Vax says through a rattail comb clenched between his teeth. “Hold still, Stubby.”  

The wedding planner was a little worried that Vex had insisted on Vax doing her hair.  She would have also done her own makeup with a little help from Keyleth but made a compromise for a professional makeup artist for her face.  Really, it was soothing for him to do her hair, to rub lavender oil onto her dry ends and neatly pull her wild, thick locks into neat braids. And today, she needed all the soothing she could get.  

For the last hour before the wedding, Vex closed her eyes as Vax finished her hair and the makeup artist applied silver and white toned pigments to her eyes and cool highlights to her cheekbones.  A cool red lipstick, her signature shade, was the finishing touch.

Into her hair, Vax added the final touches, a number of baby’s breath buds and snowdrops dotting her hair, a sheer veil, and a vintage silver hair clip from the Whitestone crown jewels featuring an inlaid sapphire.  Keyleth helped her into her wedding dress, closing the many cloth covered buttons that closed the back. From her waist, the neat pleats of her skirt flare, made of thick satin in the shade of alabaster she and Percy chose for their linens so long ago.  The waist had been moved up a tad to hide her slightly growing belly from any curious tabloid (it was really interesting, Vex thought, to be on both sides of the press/royal interaction.) The neckline of the bodice curves low around her collarbone, falling into draped sheer sleeves that came to a snug closure at her wrists. Her mother’s pearl necklace, the one item of value her mother had held onto, rested against her neck. On her finger, she wore her wedding ring, newly cleaned of Saundor’s blood, sparkling like it had the day Percy proposed.  

“Ready, Stubby?”  Vax offers her his arm.  She takes hold of it, leaning against her brother as she walks the four minutes to the chapel.  

  


The Whitestone Philharmonic begins to play, and the plans five, almost six, years in the making begin to fall into place.  

Keyleth walks down the aisle first in a light grey dress, holding Trinket’s leash.  Precariously perched on his back is a silk cushion bearing the rings.

Velora and Devana did come to her wedding.  Syldor declined to attend, and Vex could hardly care.  Her sister laughed wildly as she scattered flower petals down the aisle.  As she reached the front of the aisle, the music changed, and the audience stood as the double doors at the back of the chapel opened.  

All eyes were on Vex as she walked down the aisle.  Percy had a dumb grin on his face, and okay, she’s smiling pretty big too.  Her dress trails behind her, catching the flower petals scattered across the aisle.  Before she can quite process everything, she’s standing at the front, the music is coming to a stop, and Vax is kissing her cheek, letting go of her arm.  

“Love you, Stubby.”  

“Love you, Shitbird.”  

“Lords and Ladies, friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Lord Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski De Rolo III, and Lady Vex’ahlia Vessar, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.”  How Cassandra managed to say both of their titles in a single breath is beyond Vex. “I have had the great pleasure of knowing this couple for the duration of their five-year engagement, a time where they have both grown immensely as leaders of their respective fields and as people.  We’ve been waiting a long time for them to finally tie the knot, so why hesitate? I believe both of you have prepared your own vows.”

“Vex.  Because I know you won’t forget to mention it, I stole your cab when we met at the airport.  Or almost met. The first thing I learned about you was how bold and determined you are. It is something I continue to learn every day with each new challenge we face together. You are the toughest, smartest, and bravest women I've ever had the pleasure to meet, let alone date. We have weathered tough things together, and I now know that it’s you I want by my side through every good day and every bad day. I cannot wait to watch us grow more, to watch you grow.  

Percy slides a thin wedding band onto her finger just above her engagement ring.  It feels right as it settles into place.  Vex slides the other band onto his finger.  

“Percy, I knew from the first day we met you would be a pain in my ass.”  The audience laughs. “But I did not know how grateful I would be for you to be MY pain in the ass.  You stole my cab on the first day we met, and my heart with it. I have watched you rule for the past five years, a difficult feat you managed wonderfully.  You are a wonderful pet owner to the largest dog known to mankind, a great diplomat with superhuman powers for conflict resolution, and pretty good at never burning frozen pizzas.  All in all, it’s easy to see why I love you so much, and why I can’t wait to start a life with you.”

"Now, with the power vested in me by the constitution of Whitestone, I pronounce you husband and wife."   

They don't need the prompt.  Vex pulls Percy to her, kissing him chastely at first, then wildly and with abandon.  She missed him for the little while they were apart.  Fortunately, they wouldn't be away from each other for a while. Vex's hand starts to move up Percy's back to his neck, her fingers curling into his hair.  His hand slides lower, caressing her lower back.  Cass coughs loudly, interrupting their kiss before it starts to look too much like a romance novel cover. 

 

“Hello there, Lady de Rolo.”  

“Sounds weird.”  Vex yawns. Percy takes a seat at the foot of the bed.  Cassandra had worked a few wonders, namely the two-hour break she put between the ceremony and reception.  She’d been using it well- namely to take a power nap before Vax came back to fix her mussed up hair. “Good weird.”

“How should we use our last…”  Percy checks his watch. “Hour before the reception?”

“Wanna fool around until my brother comes to fix my hair?”

“Can you rally?  I don’t want to tire you out, or the babies.”  

“Oh, I can rally.”  

Vex’s phone rings.  

Percy groans into a pillow.  “Don’t answer it.”

“I have to,” She turns her phone on.  “Vex Ves- de Rolo.”

Vex winks at Percy.

“Hi Vex, this is Christine Hill.”  The voice on the other line comes through clear.  “I’m calling about the foreign correspondent job you applied for with the New York Times this July.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're coming to the close of this story- let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading, liking, and commenting! I'll be back with part 12 tomorrow, where the story comes to a close (until the next one ;)
> 
> XOXO,  
> Just


	12. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today we come to a pause in the tale- certainly not the end!

“Should we play this tape Keyleth gave us?”  Percy runs his finger along the label on the side of the cassette tape-   _ Percy and Vex Wedding Gift _ .  “Why did she pick a tape?  Do we even have a cassette player?”

“She gave me a USB version in case we couldn’t muster a cassette player.”  Vex rummages through her purse before withdrawing a teal flash drive. “Want to listen to it on the veranda?”  

Vex had spent a long time on the deck of their private villa on a little island in the Mediterranean, feeling the last vestiges of summer.  Almost two weeks since arriving and Vex was too used to relaxing. She’d brought this idea up on day four of their honeymoon. 

“Darling, this is lovely and all.  But when I have to go to work in a month, I will be completely, utterly, spoiled.”  

“Or maybe you’ll be sick of the so-called ‘good life,’” Percy resumed applying sunscreen to her back, “That you’ll be ready for the rough and tumble life of a foreign correspondent.  It’s Berlin, darling- not Kabul. There will be soft beds and a diplomatic apartment and security and good showers with nice water pressure.” 

“I don’t believe you.”  Vex laughs. “I think the New York Times just… throws people in hostels and has them report surrounded by smelly college students backpacking Europe.”

 

Percy set his laptop on a side table, pressing play on Keyleth’s surprise.  

_ “So, what do you remember about proposing to Vex?”   _ Keyleth starts the recording.  

_ “Mmmm.  Considering,”   _ Percy’s voice wavers on the tape,  _  “You are asking me this after I’ve had a few drinks, terribly presumptuous and advantageous of you, by the way, my recollections might be a little foggy.” _

_ “That’s alright, just tell me what you remember.” _

Vex leans against Percy as they listen.  

_ “It was New Years.  It took me that long- from when she left to the end of the month to find her again, at her brother’s diner.  I got there, with a ring in my pocket flying by the seat of my pants. I hit her window with a snowball- twas meant to be romantic.”   _

“I think you used twas wrong.”  

“I was drunk.  It’s fairly impressive I used twas at all.”  

_ “And I told her the truth.  That I felt like even though we met while she had a fake name and role in my life, I could not keep going without her there with me.  That despite knowing her for a few weeks only, I knew she was the one.”  _

_ “AND GUESS WHAT?  Even though it seems silly, I was right.  I made the right choice, even though so many people advised me against it. “ _

_ “HEY PERCY, GET YOUR SEXY ASS ON THE DANCE FLOOR.” _

_ “If you’d excuse me, Keyleth, my future wife calls.” _

Vex laughs.  “Fun night. Still, think you made the right choice?”  

“Always.”  

_ “Oh, Keyleth, why do you want to hear this again?” _

_ Because.  It’s like, the best story.  Did you think he was hot when I showed you that tabloid?   _

_ No.  I told you as much then, Kiki!   _

_ When did you first think he was hot, then?   _

_ Maybe after everything with the wolves…  _

_ (Aroooooooooooooooo) _

Percy kisses her softly.  “Was it the wolves that did it for you?”

“Yeah, a little.”  She whispers. 

_ When he saved your life? _

_ Please, I could handle myself.   _

“I totally could.”  

“You totally could.  You were ready to fight with just your keys when I showed up!”

The soft beats of Your Song start to play- the first dance they did at their wedding.  

_ Okay, now I’d like to say to the couple, you should dance again.   _

_ Cause it’d be super cute.   _

“May I have this dance?”  Percy kisses her neck. Vex stands, pulling him to his feet.  She leans on him as they slow dance barefoot on their veranda.

_ To Vex and Percy, from all of us who love you- yours was not the normal love story.  Yours was better, the sort of story you only get to see once in a lifetime. I am so so happy this happened to my best friend in the world.   _

_ And in case you’re worrying, Vax and I also got you that crock pot you wanted off the registry.   _

_ Alright. I’ll be going now.  _

_ Love, Keyleth.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you! Honestly, when I started writing Mistletoe and Whitestone 1, I did not think so many people would be interested in my little, hallmark-movie-style fanfic. I am so thankful for all of you who stuck around with this story, and I'm even more glad I could bring a little joy to your day.   
> As for future works: Volume 3 is in the works- hopefully before June (ish). I'm not going completely until then- expect another fic to go up in the next month or so, and I am writing a short poetic drabble for the Folk Tales of Exandria zine! (I'm also working on getting better at posting my fic updates- @zoetriestobecoolbutnope on Hellsite- Tumblr). Thank you all again! 
> 
> Until we meet again,   
> Just

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Part Two goes up TOMORROW! Expect one chapter/day for the next twelve days.   
> If you liked this, let me know by hitting that kudos button or leaving me a comment! You can also find me on @zoetriestobecoolbutnope on Tumblr, and you can see some more of my work in the upcoming Folk Tales of Exandria Zine. See you tomorrow!
> 
> XOXO,   
> Just (zoetriestobecoolbutnope)


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